


Vogel im Kafig

by spicysaucy_Link250



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Ally (OC) - Freeform, Angst, Angst is my Religion, Annabeth Chase is a Good Friend (Percy Jackson), Annabeth Chase is a Good Girlfriend, Annabeth and Percy are in College, Blood and Torture, Chiron is a Good Mentor, Clarisse La Rue Actually Cares, Dark, Fi (Legend of Zelda) is a Good Friend, Flashbacks, Gen, Ghirahim (Legend of Zelda) is an Asshole, Ghirahim won't leave them alone, Hallucinations, Hazel Levesque to the Rescue, Hazel and Frank are a Good Duo, Hazel is a Sweetheart, How Do I Tag, Hurt Link, Hurt No Comfort, I will make you love her if it's the last thing i do, I'm Just Sick of all this mushy fluff, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jason Grace & Percy Jackson Bromance, Jason Grace Being an Asshole, Jason Grace is a Good Friend, Link (Legend of Zelda) Being an Asshole, Link (Legend of Zelda) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Link (Legend of Zelda) Needs a Hug, Link swears a lot, Nico is trying, No Fluff, Not Beta Read, Not My First Fanfic, Not Really Character Death, POV Rotating, Past Torture, Percy and Annabeth are a Good Duo, Post-The Heroes of Olympus, Protective Hazel Levesque, Protective Percy Jackson, Psychological Torture, Starvation, Swearing, Torture, We Die Like Men, Will Solace is Precious, Will Solace is a Good Boyfriend, Wow, Zelda is a good friend, Zelda is trying, angst is everywhere, because I said so, character death (sort of), he's trying his best, okay maybe a little, what is fluff?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-11
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:07:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27511270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicysaucy_Link250/pseuds/spicysaucy_Link250
Summary: (Note: changed the title b/c that one was just a filler while I thought of a better one. Which I didn't so I'm just gonna start naming all my works after songs I'm listening to atm.)After receiving some disturbing news about an old friend, Percy and Annabeth return to Camp Half-Blood.  With the help of Chiron Percy and Annabeth set out on a quest to save a friend and get some answers.Oblivious to the oncoming storm, Hazel and Frank are working together on small quests for Camp Jupiter. Taking care of monster infestations, requiting new demi-gods and helping as many people as they can.Jason and Piper, still at Camp Half-Blood, are also working for Chiron to recruit new half-bloods. But with no quests or anything for the eager demi-gods to do, things are gloomy.Three years ago two strangers came upon Camp Half-Blood, a little before the War with Gaea. One decided to stay. The other, said they would never see them again, and left.Please read the tags or so help me God.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Paul Blofis/Sally Jackson
Comments: 8
Kudos: 11





	1. A History Essay

The exact moment his eyes open, he knows he’s dreaming. And something is coming.

Something bad.

He stands in the middle of a vibrant grassy meadow. Well, it might’ve been vibrant once. The thick fog of the torrential rain made his entire surroundings gloomy. He could barely see one hundred yards in front of him. Although it was only a dream, he could physically feel the droplets of water seep into his clothes and hair. Like a problem left unattended to, only growing more and more, until it’s too late and one doesn’t even have the time for regret. Soon enough his hair was sopping wet and rivers of water streamed down his face.

Apparently, the fact that he was the son of Poseidon didn’t seem to matter.

He was alone, left to his rapid growing thoughts.

This meant something was happening didn’t it. And it included him, again. He didn’t like it. He had had enough of being a hero. Enough to last him a lifetime. Percy inwardly groaned. Some helpless god needed his help again? He wished he could just punch the ever-loving crap out of whoevers face it was that wanted his help. No way in Tartarus would he give up what he and Annabeth had worked so hard for, in Camp Jupiter. 

All too soon, felt another presence behind him…

No. Two.

It seemed as if they had just appeared out of nowhere. Although it’s quite common for gods to be able to do that, it still put him on edge.

He quickly spun around, almost giving himself whiplash. A few droplets of water flew off his face and hair.

The first thing his eye caught was the tall, thin and quite pale person standing nonchalantly, dull red eyes giving him a lazy stare. Their vibrant red robe went strikingly well with their seemingly skin-tight white outfit. The edges of their cape was lined with multi colored diamonds. Ranging from bright orange to dark yellow. Percy quickly noted that they were obviously male.

The second thing he noticed made his stomach drop ten feet. Percy could feel the blood drain from his face.

On the ground next to the pale figure was a bloodied body.

No, not a body. They were alive. Though from what Percy could tell, barely.

They were several yards away from him, but he could make out the sickly features of the one on the ground.

From what he could tell they were male, and very short. Perhaps about four to five feet. He looked skinny, too skinny, and his body was covered in blood. Percy couldn’t quite guess his hair colour, for it was stained an ugly red. The only thing he wore for clothes were tattered trousers, covered in blood. He was laying face down on the ground, though his head seemed to be turned to his right, so Percy couldn’t get a good look at the poor boy's face. But he did notice the pointy ears, which were strangely familiar.

Try as he might, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the tattered boy.

That is, until the pale figure spoke.

“Ah, the hero of Olympus.” he said in a mocking tone.

Percy had only been with the guy not even for a whole minute, and he already detested him.

“Well, more than that I guess I should say,” he had a sickening silky sweet voice, as if he were a noble from old times. Though he hardly looked the part. His hair was only a small shade lighter than his disgusting pale skin. It seemed to fit him though.

“This one was supposed to be a great hero too, you know.” he looked down and prodded the boys side with his foot. A small groan fell from the boy's mouth and he shifted away from the uncomfortable touch. It seemed as if, even in his unconscious state, he was still trying to get away from the sadist.

“What do you want?” Percy spat, albeit cautiously. He glanced back at the boy to see him slowly regaining consciousness before meeting the other person's cold eyes.

He hummed, looking at his fingernails in boredom. “First of all, you should address me the correct way before spitting at me.”

Percy snorted, “I’m sorry, did I get mud on your shoes.”

He raised an eyebrow at him before looking down at his feet in disdain. “No, Perseus Jackson, you did not. But rest assured, if you had…” he looked back up at him.

It felt as if his heart would burst out of his chest. How in god's names did he know his real name?

The pale figure snapped his fingers and in a flash of diamonds, a pure black onyx rapier appeared in his hand. It had a single red gem on the hilt.

How fitting, Percy thought.

Before Percy had the chance to react, the man raised his rapier and drove it into the ground next to him.

Wait, no. Into the boys hand. He had barely flinched, letting out a small groan before his eyes fluttered open and stared at his severed left hand. He was unfazed.

That intense burning blue reminded Percy of Jason's eyes. Though, his seemed to actually glow.

Apparently unamused by the reaction, the pale man twisted the blade. This earned a jerk and a sharp wince through clenched teeth. The boy pulled away, barely lifting his torso off the ground and away from the sadist next to him. Though this action alone seemed to drain all the energy he had and he fell back to the ground with a thud, blue eyes staring at nothing.

The blade was pulled from his limp hand and raised again.

“Stop!” Percy shouted, feeling helpless. He reflexively reached into his pocket to pull out Riptide but he froze when the man spoke again.

“My name is Ghirahim. However, I would much prefer you address me by my full name. Demon Lord Ghirahim.” the hard venom in his voice turned Percy’s veins to ice.

Before he could respond, the supposed “demon” spoke again, “I will not hesitate to kill this boy if you do not-”

However, he was suddenly cut off by a weak chuckle. It took Percy a few seconds before he realized the boy was laughing.

Full on laughing. At least, that’s what it seemed like. It was broken and cracked, but a laugh.

“That’s rich,” he said in a scratchy voice that made even Percy’s throat hurt. “Coming from you.”

There was a thick silence in the air despite the heavy entourage of rain constantly falling. Percy swore he could’ve cut the tension with his sword.

“You wouldn’t kill me.” now he was smirking at Ghirahim, his head lifted off the ground. “It’d be a waste of time and you know it. You couldn’t get rid of me whether you wanted to or not.”

It struck Percy dumb with the realization that he knew this kid. He had come to Camp Half-blood about three years ago and creamed them all at Capture the Flag. He couldn’t recall much, and now was definitely not the time to be reminiscing about days gone by.

However, for the life of him, he couldn’t remember the kids name.

Ghirahim stared at the boy for a solid minute, the other doing the same. Both with blank faces, though the fire behind their eyes brought shivers down Percy’s spine. Suddenly the demon stomped his foot on the boy's face.

He roughly grabbed the matted, dirty hair and lifted half his torso off the muddy ground. With the boy now in an awkward position, the demon turned his gaze toward Percy.

“You’re tired of being a hero? Take this one and he’ll gladly take the job.” he said in monotone, giving the boy a shake for good measure.

“What?” At this point the demi god was confused beyond reason. “No.”

Ghirahim chuckled, something Percy wished he had never heard in his life. The other cringed, “So you’d let me take him back with me and do as I please?”

“No.”

“Is that the only word you know?”

“No.” the rain seemed to be finally letting up, but not entirely. He sighed before responding. “Where?”

The demon smirked and Percy risked a glance at the boy still in his grip. He was hoping he would send him some sort of message with his eyes, telling Percy whether or not he made the right choice. However, his face remained impassive. Those unsettling blue eyes boring into his sea green ones.

A contemplative hum reached his ear and his eyes darted back to Ghirahim. “I suppose i could tell you. But what’s the fun in that? You should find him before it’s too late.”

The demon raised his hand and snapped.

Suddenly Percy felt weightless, until his body collided with something hard. He suppressed a groan and tried to get a grasp of what just happened.

A groggy voice sounded off to the side. “Percy?”

He lifted his head. Standing in the doorway to the bathroom was Annabeth.

She was rubbing her eye, her right hand behind the door frame on the light switch. She didn’t turn it off.

“Percy?” she repeated, “Are you okay? It’s two thirty-two in the morning.”

He stared at his girlfriend, contemplating on whether or not he should tell her the truth. All he knew was that he had been dreaming, which in itself is a bad thing, but he couldn’t remember the important details about it. All he could remember was the heavy rain and the fog. And a name.

Ghirahim.

It sounded somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t put a face to the name. It annoyed Percy to no end, and his head hurt trying to remember. When he said the name quietly out loud, it felt as if the temperature had dropped ten degrees and he felt a shiver down his spine.

“Sorry, what?” he could hear the annoyance in Annabeth's voice, “Percy.”

This time it wasn’t a question.

“Uh, yeah. I’m fine. Sorry.” he chuckled un convincingly, “Guess I forgot how small the bed was.”

She looked at him with uncertainty. Finally, she sighed and flipped off the bathroom light. Taking almost silent steps towards him, she smiled and picked up the blankets pooled around his feet. “Don’t you dare drool on me seaweed brain.”

Percy layed in bed and listened to Annabeth's soft and even breaths. He didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.

….

Early the next morning, Percy found himself sitting across from his girlfriend at a small table near a coffee shop. Demi-gods milled around, ordering breakfast, laughing, chatting or worrying if they had done their homework correctly.

Annabeth nibbled at her cinnamon roll, quietly reading a book the size or Percy’s fist. She looked up to see him staring at his cinnamon roll.

“Percy.”

“Hmm?” 

Annabeth sighed and set down her roll. “What’s wrong?”

Finally he looked up. Concern was etched across her features, “Uh, just worrying about an essay.” it wasn’t a total lie, he did have an important essay coming. But right now it was the least of his problems. Even though he could barely remember anything from his dream, it was bothering the hell out of him. He couldn’t stop thinking about that name, Ghirahim.

He could tell by her expression that she didn’t believe him, but thankfully she played along, “What class?”

“History.” he answered vaguely. Before she could respond, he fired a question, “Hey, Annabeth have you ever heard the name Ghirahim?”

She paused her chewing and made that face she always has when she’s thinking real hard. She hummed, “I think… but that’s ancient Hylian history, I’m pretty sure. You’re learning about that?”

“Uh, yeah I think I’m gonna do an essay on it. So, do you know anything about it?”

Annabeth studied him sceptically, “Well, I only ever learned a bit from my dad but, I’m pretty sure Ghirahim was an old Demon from the Sky Era.”

“Demon?” Percy asked, his brow furrowing. Though it seemed to fit for some reason, “I thought that was like cult stuff.”

Scoffing, Annabeth took another bite from her cinnamon roll. “Stop making that face. You’re thinking too hard, you might hurt yourself.”

Instead of answering he glared at her. 

“There’s probably some text books in the library about Hylian history.” she was still making that face. Like she was trying to mentally tear into his brain and see everything that was going on in there. “Are you gonna eat that?”

Without waiting for an answer, she reached over and took his roll.

Through a mouthful she ventured, “What is it about Ghirahim anyway?”

By this point it was useless. Percy hated to admit it, but he much preferred to Annabeth pestering him with questions and demands to tell the truth. But when she just played along, he couldn’t handle it.

“I had a dream last night.”

Annabeth didn’t look the least bit surprised. “Thought so.” she said.

He sighed in defeat, what’s the point of lying to her at all? “Thing is, I can’t remember anything. All I remember is fog, rain and--well you know, Ghirahim.”

A look of concern worked its way onto her face. Though when she spoke, he could tell she was forcing a little joy into her voice, “Well if he was there, then it probably wasn’t good.”

However by the end of her sentence her voice had dropped.

“Annabeth,” Percy started.

She gave him such a look he was afraid he might’ve actually peed his pants. Though, she sighed, “I’m sorry, I just-”

“Look, I’ll go to Chiron. You stay here and finish the semester.”

She shot up to her feet so fast, Percy thought she might have gotten whiplash. “No way. Nope. Not happening.”

“Annabeth, you literally just said every negative word in existence.”

Before he could protest, she grabbed his arm and headed down the descending cobblestone road back to their dorm.

“Annabeth, stay here.”

But she didn’t answer. Which made Percy feel guilty.

Damnit, if he had only kept his mouth shut.

Then again (even though he felt awful about it), he was kinda glad Annabeth forced her way into this. Percy honestly hated doing quests without her. Although they haven’t had any quests since Gaea’s defeat. To be completely honest, he felt worried about showing up at Camp Half-Blood claiming another shit-storm was coming. He honestly had no idea if something was happening or not, but Percy got the feeling he didn’t like this Ghirahim guy.

….

“Annabeth, really.” Percy pleaded, despite knowing there was no way she would back down. “You should stay here. Finish your studies and become an Architect.”

“Would you just shut it Percy?” she snapped, “I’m coming with you whether you like it or not.” Annabeth shoved her dagger into its sheath and strapped it on her belt, her blonde brows furrowed as she turned around and finished packing her backpack.

He felt defeated when she looked at him like that. “Fine,” he resigned. “I’ll go talk to Jason and Piper.”

“Percy, get something to eat, I’ll talk to them.”

Her tone left no room for argument, and Percy couldn’t really deny that he was a bit hungry now that he thought about it.

….

It was the waiting that nearly drove him insane.

The silence that covered the cell like a thick blanket. The air felt as if it could be cut right in half. Filled with that feeling when a child hides under a blanket for too long, breathing in their own breath.

More than anything, Link wished he could retreat to the safety of beneath a blanket. A longing for that false comfort from monsters hiding under the bed. Every breath shot a flare of pain through his lacerated chest. It felt like he was breathing through a straw, his right arm was in constant pain. Along with his left knee. Even if he had fairy magic or a potion, he doubted it would ever be the same again. His eyelids felt like eight tons. 

Fuck it, his whole body felt like eight tons.

When was the last time he actually tried to escape? Three weeks ago? Yeah, that sounded about right.

In honesty, Link had no concept of time. All he could do was wait. Wait until that demon came back and tortured him some more. Sometimes he’d leave for hours, sometimes he’d give Link barely five minutes to recuperate before going right back to it.

Though he wasn’t chained to the floor or wall, the thought of moving or standing seemed like a far off dream. An impossible goal on a bucket list. He closed his eyes, disregarding the fear of never opening again. There wasn’t anything left worth seeing anyway. Not that closing his eyes would prove a difference anyway.

He let his head fall back against the unyielding wall, ignoring the pain that erupted in the back of his skull.

Currently, he was sitting in the furthest corner of his cell, propped against the wall.

That’s when he heard it.

It was so strange. An interruption to the awful routine he had become accustomed to. A foreighn sound, different from the demon Lord's detestable voice, a break from his own screams that would bounce back into his own ears.

Weeping.

From the sound of it, it sounded like a childs.

Gnashing his teeth together, he forced his eyes open and sat up, grunting in pain. With trembling arms he grabbed the wall and pulled himself up, slowly but surely. A small whimper escaped his lips when he made it to his feet. How the hell could he forget? That bastard had stabbed through his feet not even two two hours ago.

Biting as hard as he could on his tongue, Link took a step forward. His feet pulsated and his left knee screamed when he put weight on it. Leaning heavily against the wall, he slowly made his way to a small crevice in the wall of his cell. He knew it was there from the several attempts he had made to escape. The iron taste or blood flooded his mouth when he stepped on a loose stone. Tears of frustration filled his eyes. 

Damn, if it was the last thing he did, he would run his sword straight through that bastard's face. 

He finally reached the small opening, blood dripping from his mouth. Over time he had learned to ignore it. Turning sideways he made his way through.

It felt like hours before he met the other side. Link could still hear the sobbing. Knowing it was some poor child motivated him to ignore the pain. By the time he made it, he was wheezing, every breath felt like fire. His nose and mouth uncomfortably dry. 

Still leaning against the wall, he licked his chapped lips and looked either way down the uneven walls of the underground cave. When he looked to his left in the dark he could barely make out the figure of a small child.

Their knees were pulled so close to their chest, Link was afraid they might snap in half. From underneath a grimy white dress he could see dirty, bloodied feet. Link figured they were female from their clothing and though their face was hidden behind their knees, he could see dark hair spilling down their shoulders and back.

He carefully made his way toward the small child, gripping the wall so tightly the tips of his fingers split and bled. The unfortunate girl sniffled and looked up at him. Link almost fell back to the floor in surprise.

What the actual hell??

This girl could barely be over five or six. Why the fuck was she in a place like this.

Link wanted to say something, but he knew his voice wouldn’t work the way he wanted it to. He so desperately wanted to call out to her, comfort her, tell her everything was going to be okay. Despite his good intentions, there was no way he would be able to.  
“Mister,” she said with a clogged nose, the voice a child would have when they have a cold. “Your pants are all red. What habbend to your feet?”

The boy was so relieved she didn’t start screaming and running away. Although the fact that she didn’t seem worried for her situation troubled him.

He opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t think of anything to say.

She smiled. Something so foreihgn, Link though he might’ve cried. “You look hurt Mister Red-Pants.” she remarked, taking him off guard.

She patted the space next to her with her small hand, “My name is Ally. Not short for Allison, just Ally.”

Risking a step from the wall, Link made his way towards the small girl. Albeit slowly. He held his breath as he sat down next to her, favoring his leg. He stretched them out in front of him and leaned back against the wall, releasing a sigh.

“Can you not talk?” she asked, her high-pitched voice not fit at all for the setting. It still carried that naivety of a young child yet to explore the world.

He shook his head. Well, technically he could, but he was afraid it might damage his throat even more. Honestly, he would be surprised if he actually still could.

Ally gave another smile, a little brighter than the last one. “That’s okay, my mama told me that even though someone can’t talk, they still have great stories to tell. People just won’t take the time to listen to them.” she looked as if she wanted to ask more questions, but didn’t.

Link studied her vibrant green eyes, they were so green they could rival an emeralds. She had uneven dark brown hair that fell down her back and shoulders. Dirt smeared her face, arms and what he could see of her legs. Link could almost picture a beautiful young girl in a purple dress. Her hair done up in braids with ribbons, her face white and pearly with bright eyes and an even brighter smile.

“What happened?” he finally asked. His throat was raw and his voice painfully scratchy, but Ally didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“My mama told me it’s okay to be scared sometimes. ‘Being scared can help us choose to do the right thing,’ she told me.” she clutched her legs closer and looked at the opposite wall. “But I think being brave is better. If you're scared, you can’t do anything. But when you’re brave you can help other people.” she paused, looking down at her dress, “but I guess there’s no such thing as being brave if you’re not scared.”

More than anything, Link wanted to get this poor girl away from here. Away from himself, away from Ghirahim, away from the horrors of the world, away from every bad thing to ever exist. “Ally.”

She looked up at him with curious eyes.

“Sometimes being brave can be scary. But courage isn’t always fighting, sometimes you just have to be brave for those who are too scared to.”

Ally looked at him for a few moments, her expression unreadable. “I like you, Red-Pants.”

“You can call me Link.”

Her nose scrunched up, “That’s a weird name.”

Neither of them spoke for a while. They both sat in silence, staring at the opposite wall. Link knew the demon could be back any moment. But he didn’t have the heart to tell the naive girl what could happen if she didn’t try to leave. There was nothing he could do, if his damn leg wasn’t messed up. He would be running her far away from this awful place. It was weird how she didn’t seem disturbed by him at all. This girl was deserving of anything, anything but this. Pictures of her bleeding and broken body on the floor filled his brain.

He shook his head.

No.

No way in hell would he let anything unbecoming happen to this burdened girl.

“I hope I get to see my mom again.” Ally lamented quietly.

“You will.”


	2. Off the Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WTF I DIDN'T MEAN FOR THIS TO BE SO LATE HAHAHA UMM.....  
> Alrite tho I have a legit excuse.🥱🔪 I'm currently working on like three fanfics (one im revising cause cringe ew) and, though it's fun, I'm getting addicted to the httyd/rtte/rob fandom and I STARTED ANOTHER CROSSOVER. I want you're guy's feedback on a few things.   
> First: do you like long chapters or would you guys rather I rotate the pov's? Like one chapter being the demigods pov and then every other would be Links (or maybe I'll do one with Ally's). NOT FIRST POV THOUGH CAUSE I SAID SO.  
> Second: when I do finish the first chapter of my rtte/loz crossover would you guys be fine if I posted?  
> Third: ily

With the lack of any activity, no one having the energy to do anything, the place looked like the stereotypical apocalyptic abandoned farm. Though most of the kids that were there were milling aimlessly. Most of the cabin Leaders were trying their hardest to get the other kids to actually do something instead wallowing in self-pity.

It wasn’t just because there weren’t any quests going on, not many kids would usually be sent out on official quests anyway, but just the fact that there could quite possibly be another big thing coming had most of the campers on edge. Nobody wanted another big war. Nobody wanted to be part of another war. Especially with most of the campers still recovering from the war with Gaia and the giants.

Jason was no exception. Over the year after the war, him and Piper had both been trying their hardest to help Chiron and the other half bloods, satyrs and anyone else willing to help. They rebuilt the Big House and all the buildings that had taken the most damage. Though there really wasn’t much left to fix, there were still some things that needed some attention.

It was well into the morning, Jason was outside on the porch of the Big House. Currently, he was waiting for Piper to finish talking with Chiron. He was leaning against the railing as Nico Di Angelo walked up the steps with a solemn look on his pale face. It wasn’t an unusual expression considering the ambiance of camp right now. Though, Nico always seems to own the look.

“Have you seen Will?”

Jason doesn’t know why he’s surprised that Nico came to him. It’s not that they weren’t close, but after the war with Gaia, they hadn’t really talked much outside of meetings. “Not sure. Think I saw him near the volleyball pit earlier.” Jason suggested.

Suddenly Piper burst through the side door of the Big House next to Nico. The boy didn’t seem to mind, though Jason immediately stood up and faced his girlfriend. She looked him right in the eyes, the bags beneath her eyes were much more pronounced than they were yesterday. However, that didn’t seem to take away any of her beauty.

It wasn’t her sudden appearance that startled Jason. Her expression scared him the most. She looked worried, or maybe excited, but Jason could see her horrified expression underneath, as if she was unsure which emotion to feel.

“What’s wrong?” He asked immediately. Apparently not wanting to get involved, Nico quietly walked back down the steps and headed towards the volleyball court.

Pipers lips were set into a thin line, “Annabeth sent us an Iris message.” she paused and looked down at her shoes. “She said Percy had some dream last night. She knows he wants it to be nothing. They’re on their way here right now.”

Bewildered, Jason looked beyond her. At the crest of Half-Blood hill, “But there’s no oracle. Rachel said that nothing-”

“I know Jason, but-” she cut herself off before she could finish. A new look crossed her features, one Jason definitely didn’t like. A sad expression. “I just- last night- look, I had some freaky dream last night. Percy said he can’t really remember what happened. But I can recall every detail. Down to the particle.”

It felt to Jason as if he was breathing through a straw.

One year ago. It was one year ago since the war with Gaia. Even now they were still recovering. Damn, Jason really hated dreams. But right now he needed to worry about Piper. She looked really rattled, like she was on the edge of crying. He wanted to ask why she never said anything, or told him about it, but he couldn’t bring himself to. It was obvious she was disturbed by the news Annabeth had given them and Jason knew he couldn’t blame her for anything. She looked like she needed a hug, but Jason knew better than to try anything remotely close to that. Even he was her boyfriend.

“Chiron wants to call a meeting when they get here.” Piper added before making her way to the bench near the door and slumped down onto it. A deep sigh followed, she closed her eyes.

After a few seconds of contemplating the consequences, Jason moved to sit next to her. It reminded him of that time they had sat on the roof of his cabin and watched the falling stars. Though, they weren’t on the roof and it was in the middle of the day. It was the mutual silence that seemed to help both of them relax.

After a while, Piper had leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder and soon fell asleep. Jason's arm was now tingling, but he knew she probably hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, so he let her sleep. His eyes wandered across camp.

Several Satyrs were scattered around in the strawberry fields. From where he was, Jason thought he could see Nico and Will standing on the edge of the volleyball court. A few Apollo kids and Hermes kids were playing Survivor. Hephestus kids were milling around the forge, complaining or suggesting things to each other. A few Aphrodite girls were grouped together by the Canoe Lake, looking in the water or debating on things Jason couldn’t hear. Before he could try and figure out how many kids were around the amphitheater, a girl with short light brown hair came jogging up the hill towards the Big House.

Jason remembered her. She was the one they had rescued from a group of angry harpies a few weeks ago. Ilia, Jason remembered. A daughter of Epona. Apparently she had been making her way to Camp Half-Blood from Camp Jupiter, wanting to help with the repairs. Though she was quite small, the girl was frighteningly strong. 

When she neared and saw Jason and Piper on the porch, she waved and looked as if she was going to shout something. She must’ve seen that Piper was sleeping, because she only smiled and made her way up the steps, two at a time.

“Hey,” she breathed, quietly trying to catch her breath. “Sorry, but I was wondering if you would help me train in sword combat. I asked Will, he said you were pretty good.”

Wow, Jason felt a surge of pride. He’d been known at Camp Jupiter, but to be honest, he had been sort of humble here. He hadn’t really thought of training here though. Now that he thought about it though, he could probably use a little practice.

Smiling back at her, he answered, “Yeah, sure. When did you want to meet?”

Ilia clasped her hands together, letting out a quick sigh of relief and giving a small bow, “Thanks a lot, and we can do it whenever you’re free.”

Jason smiled, “Alright, I’ll meet you at the arena as soon as I can.”

Once again she smiled brightly and nodded, “Thanks a lot. I’ll be there.” She quickly turned on her heel and skipped down the steps, jogging towards the combat arena.

A little while later, Piper shifted next to him. Slowly, she sat up. Wiping the hair that fell from her braid out of her face. He watched as her eyes scanned the camp before looking up at him.

She hummed, “How long?”

“Just a few minutes, you needed the sleep.”

Chuckling, Piper stood up and brushed the wrinkles from her orange T-shirt. The light from the late morning sun shone across her face, making her look even more beautiful. “Well, thanks. I’m gonna go check on some of my unfortunate siblings.”

Jason barked a laugh, “Okay, unfortunate daughter of ‘Her Highness’.”

She scoffed, turning away and giving a slight smile before jogging down the steps, heading towards the canoe lake. Without even looking back, “Unfortunate indeed!”

As she ran off, Jason stood up and made his way to the combat arena. Although he knew he should dread it, he couldn’t help but hope Annabeth and Percy would get to the Camp quickly. Mostly because he just wanted the suspense to leave him alone and go away. It was beginning to drive him crazy. However, his thoughts kept going back to what Piper had said earlier. It annoyed him more that he had no idea what had happened last night. She had looked really scared on the porch, and it hurt Jason that he couldn’t do anything about it.

…

“‘Cmon, time for one more?” Ilia’s excited voice carried loud through the mostly empty combat arena.

Jason sighed, taking another swig of his water, “Why, so you can beat me again.”

She groaned, exaggerating exhaustion. “Oh please, I know you’re holding back. Those first two times were just warm ups.” she suggested.

The blonde sighed once again.

“The great Giant slayer doesn’t even want to fight me?”

Jason snorted, “Who said that?”

Ilia shrugged, “No one. But people talk about you and this Percy Jackson and some other demigods a lot. You guys are pretty famous.” she gestured to him with her short bronze sword.

“Wow,” he paused, examining her sword. “How come you use that short one? There are plenty just like it with more precision to them.”

It was past noon now, Piper had dropped in for a short while to watch. Eventually she went to go get some lunch with a few other campers. Some others stopped by to watch as well. A few Apollo kids and some Ares kids. Three Ares children were practicing on the straw dummies off to the side. A Hephaestus boy with shaggy brown hair was sitting on the bench chatting with a red headed Aphrodite girl. Jason remembered seeing her around with Piper before. Seanie, he thought Piper had called her.

The brunette seemed to have just gotten out of the forge. His clothes were covered in soot and he had a dirty bandaid under his eye. There were a few bandages on his hands, fingers and arms as well.

In the middle of the arena was Ilia. Although it was just practice, she wore her gauntlets. Apparently someone had made them for her when she was younger. Long time ago, she had said.

They were simple leather ones, with wolf hair over the fingers. The stitching was a mix between the lock stitch and the over edge. It looked as if someone had rushed on the left one. The right looked way better considering the condition. The leather was cleaner and wasn’t worn in certain places, or caked with dirt like the left one.

“Are you gonna stare all day, King Jason?”

“You haven’t even been here a whole month and you’re already calling me names?” he asked incredulously.

Sliding her sword back into its sheath, Ilia chuckled. “Well, where’s the fun in it if you don’t get to give people nicknames?”

“Nicknames?” Jason raised his brows, “Alright, what’s your nickname?”

However, before she could answer, they heard a shout coming from the other side of the arena. Jason turned and saw Piper standing on the edge waving him over. Her face was illuminated in the afternoon sun, making her look ominous and gorgeous at the same time. Though her expression was unreadable, Jason knew exactly what she came for.

Before she even said anything, he waved and nodded. She nodded back and even from this distance, Jason could see her playing with the clay beads on her necklace.

Ilia sighed, “Raincheck?”

He turned around swiftly, sheathing his sword and raising his brows, “Sure.”

She gave a lopsided smile, placing her hand on her hip and sighing, “‘Kay, better go see your girlfriend before she gets mad.”

…

It was almost startlingly obvious of how much neither had changed. Somehow though, Percy looked tanner. Annabeth looked as if she had attempted rewriting the entire Lord of the Rings script in one night. Though, her bright blonde hair was still as bright and blonde as it was the day they left. Currently they wore everyday mortal clothes, Percy wearing a plain grey shirt, jeans and an unbuttoned plaid shirt. Annabeth wore a green ADK sweatshirt with dark jeans, her Drakon Bone sword strapped to her jeans.

They hadn’t even gotten to the Big House yet. Apparently Piper had seen them coming and had immediately ran to the combat arena to get Jason. Annabeth was informing Chiron of their journey while Percy stood awkwardly to the side watching absently as Ilia led Black Jack and Annabeth's pegasus to the stables.

When he finally saw Jason, he gave a small wave. Hardly smiling, leaning against the railing with his arms crossed looking deep in thought. From Jason's angle, he looked like a kid pouting.

For a moment, he considered attempting a conversation. He looked like he really needed it. Maybe a short distraction would help his mood. An upset Percy really disturbed Jason if he was being honest. Not that he would ever tell him that.

“How college?” Jason cringed inwardly at the weak prompt.

Either way, Percy scoffed a small grin appearing on his face, “C’mon man, don’t start that crap with me.”

“Okay, how’s the relationship? The gods are watching your every move, just remember.”

That got a full on laugh from him, “No thanks, it’s all study-study-study with her. No time for fun.”

“Ever?”

“None.” Percy complained. Exaggerating the syllable. He looked down at his feet, “I mean, at least I’m with her, y’know? If I was by myself I don’t know where the hell I’d be right now.”

Jason hummed, “Happy?” he offered, which only earned him a smack to the back of the head.

“Mind what you say, sparky.” Annabeth’s no-shit voice sounded from behind him. He turned and saw her raising a brow with a grin on her face. She shoved her hands into the sweatshirt pockets, turning to step up onto the porch and make her way into the Big House.

Giving a small laugh, Percy followed her, giving Jason a pat on the shoulder as he passed. “Gotta keep the queens happy, don’t forget.”

…

It seemed that by the time every cabin leader had gathered, all positive feelings had left. The tension in the air was so thick that Jason could’ve cut it with his sword. Percy’s entire body seemed to droop. His hands gripped the edge of the table, his short nails digging crescent moons into the wood. His solemn mood reflected right back onto everyone else.

As they all settled into their seats around the table, Chiron remained silent in his magic wheelchair. No one wanted to break the silence, Jason could swear he could hear a pin drop.

Ilia was sitting at the end of the table, near Percy and Vincient. After Annabeth had gone with Percy to Camp Jupiter for college, they had named Vincient the new leader of the Athena cabin. Though he hasn’t ever really talked to him, from what Jason had heard he did a decent job. Annabeth stood behind Percy, her hand resting supportively on his right shoulder. Nico and Will sat next to each other, Grover sat at the corner chewing on a plastic cup.

Finally, Chiron sighed and sat up. “Before we get started, I want everyone to promise me that whatever happens-or is said-in this room stays in this room. Understand?”

Every single head nodded-except for Percy’s. Chiron seemed to have expected it though, because he had been looking at him the entire time and ignored the fact that the raven haired boy had barely moved the entire time.

In a way, it worried Jason. Every demigod had ADHD and it was strange to see him so still. It was strange to see everyone so still. From where Jason was sitting he could see Annabeth’s hand on his shoulder was like a vice grip.

Chiron let out a soft breath and beckoned a short freckled brunette boy over to his side. Jason had remembered seeing that kid around before, though he didn’t know his name. The centaur leaned forward and whispered something in the boy's ear, he nodded and quickly dashed out of the room. A moment later, he reappeared with a small box. Jason could only see a small portion of it, but from what he could see it was old and discoloured. It had gold trimming and a dark green colour, looking like it could fit in the palm of his hand.

The boy set it in front of Chiron with gentle hands. It was now that he noticed where he had seen this kid. Somewhere around the Pegasus Stables. Taking to the creatures with gentle caring hands. Talking to them with a soft voice.

“Thank you Pipit,” Chiron said, placing a hand on the old cube, “Percy.”

Finally, Percy looked up, removing his hands from the table. “I’m taking this as a yes that demons exist,” he stated flatly.

Someone winced, Ilia sneezed and Chiron cleared his throat, “Be that as it may, do you remember anything else?”

He seemed to think long and hard, his brows furrowing. There was a moment of silence before he said anything, “You guy remember that kid that came here with Pipit?”

Next to Chiron, the freckled boy shifted. He frowned and looked down at his boots, “That was three years ago,” he said in a small hard voice. Though it seemed to match his looks, “I doubt-”

“Link right?” Clarisse unexpectedly provided.

Pipit gave a small, reluctant nod.

Quietly, Percy bit his lip. “I think he’s in trouble. The bad kind.”

“What?” The freckled boy stepped forward, seemingly offended, “Link is the best warrior I know, there’s no way-”

“Yes there is.”

Every head turned towards the brunette sitting next to Jason. He looked over and saw Piper looking forlorn and at her hands in her lap.”

“What do you mean?” Jason asked gently.

The girl looked up, her multi colored eyes hard and focused. “He’s being tortured somewhere-”

Suddenly Clarisse stood up so fast her chair fell over backwards. Her face set in a furious rage. “Then what the hell are we doing sitting here and talking about it? We have to go-”

“Clarisse!” Chiron bellowed. Immediately she looked over at the mentor, her expression flat but her brows furrowed. “I understand the need for urgency. But we cannot go running off for someone we don’t even know where to find, or to even start looking for.” Calmly, he opened the old box and lifted out a small golden medallion. It was in the shape of a triangle, a smaller one upside down in the middle making three form one. Though, every one was empty.

“Percy, I want you and Piper on this since you both had the dreams.” Chiron held out the golden triangle to Piper, who took it hesitantly.

Percy’s mouth was set into a thin line. He gave a curt nod.

“We all know that we can have no more than three demigods on a quest. Jason, Annabeth.” He looked to them, his hand in his scraggly brown beard. “I assume you both would like to go as well?”

Immediately, Annabeth nodded. Jason looked from his girlfriend to the blonde and back to Chiron. He nodded.

Once again, the centaur sighed. “Pipit, go with Annabeth. Clarisse…” he paused, giving the hardened warrior a look before resting his arm on the table. “Go with Jason, I know you want in as well.”

For a short moment, the girl looked shocked. Then she looked to Jason and gave him a vague thumbs up.

“But I thought,” Ilia sat forward, pausing and looking at the table for a moment. “Will they be traveling in groups?”

Chiron nodded. However, without the oracle, Jason knew there was really no official quest. He stole a glance at Piper, she was gripping the golden piece tightly in her hands, not looking at anyone.

Pipit walked by, giving Jason a pat on the back, his face contorted in a strange manor. He looked sad, yet angry for being sad. The freckled boy left the room quietly. Clarisse followed at his heels. A moment later, Percy and Annabeth left as well. One by one, each leader left the room. Nico looked at Jason for a moment, his hands stuffed into his pockets. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but apparently decided not to because he cast his eyes to the floor and shuffled out quietly.

~~~

Though he hadn’t been keeping track, his best guess was about two or three hours.

After a while of sitting in the dark, he had finally managed to coax Ally to sleep. If for just a few minutes. He hadn’t known how long the girl had been out here alone, and she hadn’t seemed too keen on distilling the information. More than a few times, Link had contemplated on attempting to lift the girl and get her away from here. But he knew it was near impossible. He wasn’t the same prodigy fighter he used to be.

Three years ago he could run five miles without breaking a sweat. Now he could barely move five feet without losing his breath. It was so strange however, the small girl's breath was the warmest thing he had ever felt in goddess-knew how long. Her small head leaned against his right shoulder and, though it hurt like hell, he didn’t have the heart to move her.

After sitting uselessly by Ally’s prone form, Link came to a decision. He would carry the unconscious girl if he had to. There was no way he would let anything befall her.

As gently as he could manage, Link gathered up the poor girl into his aching arms. Leaning against the wall, he slowly slid up, managing to stay standing. Ally remained fast asleep in his arms.

Begrudgingly slow, Link made his way down the low cave. Several times he looked over his shoulder, more than once his vision blurring and darkening. Half expecting some hideous creature to be there, ready to take everything away.

Taking careful, painful steps as he ventured down through the rocky corridor, Link suddenly felt a pressing feeling. A bad feeling. A very bad feeling. Pain in his chest came along with it, as if warning him not to go any further. If there was anything he had learned by now, it was to never trust his gut. Every single damned time it got him in even worse situations.

However, the more steps he took, the worse he felt. Subconsciously, Link held Ally’s small frame closer to him. Ignoring the way his entire body seemed to burn with exhaustion. A sickening feeling of trepidation crawled uncomfortably up his spine. And though it wasn’t new to him, he felt they were being watched. It was almost pitch black and even his well-adjusted eyes could barely see anything in the cave. Suddenly the air felt as if it had closed around them, as if the very oxygen he was breathing was hugging against his bare back and Ally’s sleeping form. That’s when he noticed he could barely breathe properly.

With a sickening jolt, Link fell roughly to the floor. Ally lay a few yards away, still deep asleep. Eventually he managed to get up on his elbows, right arm screaming with pain. Gritting his teeth he slowly made his way over to the girls prone form. Moving to the right, he used his left arm to reach the space beside her and prepared to lift her back up and get the hell out of this place. It was freezing. Yet despite that, Link was sweating bullets. Probably partially due to his fever.

The moment he was about to attempt standing up the entire wall to his right exploded. Immediately he tried his best to shield Ally from any harmful debris. Several chunks of rock slammed against the opposite wall as well as the ceiling and the floor, causing more to fall. By the time the dust settled Link had made his way from the damage, retracing his steps prior to the explosion. His back and arms were a bit bruised and scratched, Ally seemed to be fine though to his relief. Besides, it’s not like he hadn’t had worse.

This time he was constantly looking over his shoulder as he continued to half sidle his way along the wall. Never in his life had he ever known anyone to be such a deep sleeper. How the hell could this girl sleep through everything that had just taken place. Well, Ally was an enigma.

Eventually, after a while too long, Link finally saw a faint light reflecting off the floor and walls. He rounded a small corner and saw that ugly, constant cloudy black sky. If he was being completely honest, Link had no idea when he had last seen the sun. The real sun.

Goddesses how he missed the beautiful clear blue skies. This awful dark sky reminded him too much of that awful dark place. He unconsciously shook his head, holding Ally even closer to him. For a six year old (he wasn’t actually sure if she was six or seven) she was worryingly small. Link was no stranger to malnutrition. He could only hope this mother that Ally spoke of wasn’t what he feared.

When they finally emerged, Link took a deep breath, immediately wincing. His chest flared with pain and he had almost dropped Ally.

The cave led out to a large cliff with a deadly drop off. For a moment, Link stood at the entrance. Taking time to catch his breath.

Shifting Ally’s curled up body in his arms, he took a step away from the support of the wall.

For a horrifying moment, the air once again closed around him. That claustrophobic fear gripped his heart and he gasped. In that terrifying moment, all he could do was clear his head of the icy grip of fear for a split second. And in that stolen moment, he tossed Ally to the side, silently praying for her forgiveness and that she would not be harmed. Then a moment later the air left and Link was falling off the side of the cliff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO PIPIT DID MAKE AN APPEARANCE. AND MAY STILL YET.   
> Also, yeah this isn't really any specific Link or Zelda. I guess you could say he's kinda like an OC but not really. He's just my own version of another reincarnation. And yeah I made Ilia have some time too because I fuckin' love her so much. Seriously, in the tp manga she's so precious.  
> i TOLD YOU NO PROMISES THAT ALLY WOULD BE SAFE HEHE  
> Also next chapter there will be a trigger warning at the beginning so beware of that.  
> Ily 😘


	3. Crimson Rivers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Torture in the first half.

About a year ago, Link had completely given up on begging his so-called beloved goddess for any sort of reprieve whatsoever. It’s not like he was even in Hyrule anyway. Besides, this was his own fault. No point in asking someone who doesn’t care. Scratch that, never cared.

When he was younger, his father would force him up in the early light of the mornings and make his four year-old knees go numb from kneeling in front of a shrine for hours. Until it was time to go home and slave away under her… gentle and loving gaze. Their farm was relatively small but that didn’t make it any easier for just Link and his father. Every night he had just about destroyed his knees praying to the goddess to help his father. Never once had he ever asked for something for himself.

Sometimes he wondered if perhaps his father had done the same. Except to get rid of him. Perhaps that was how he had managed to get himself into this goddess-awful mess.

“It’s funny isn’t it. I mean, some people say they’ll go to the end of the earth for each other. But,” there was a ‘tsk’ then a sigh, “I don’t think I heard anyone say they’ll go to hell five times for another person. Yet…”

Thick silence fell across the room as Ghirahim perched in the corner watching as Link made a futile struggle against the chains. He didn’t even know why he bothered to try anymore. The only thing he could be absolutely certain of was never giving Ghirahim the satisfaction of submitting.

“You remind me so much of him,” the demon commented. Not bothering to elaborate on who he was, “Regardless, you will tell me what I want.” Swiftly, he stood and made his way over to the boy. “However, this time I am not asking anything of you. This is a punishment, period.”

Stopping in front of Link, Ghirahim stared into the boys still bright blue defiant eyes. Over the hundreds of years of his existence, the demon had really begun to dislike that shiny blue. Although he hated to admit it, they were very hypnotizing, in an annoyingly beautiful way.

He began tracing his finger under Link’s left eye.

“Now that I think about it, these eyes of yours might price pretty high on the black market.” Ghirahim said in a sickly sweet voice.

Seeing the confusion in the boys eyes, the demon chuckled, “Oh yes, that’s right I almost forgot. You haven’t really gotten to enjoy the beauties of this world,” he smirked, “Quite different from yours I must say. The people oh so gloriously kill each other for land or to make a point, or…” Ghirahim’s deep crimson eyes narrowed as Links' expression turned from confusion to mild annoyance. 

“Just for fun,” the demon lord finished in an excited tone. “It’s kind of boring back home isn’t it?” he inquired, “I do hope that you’ll share this very touching connection we’ve begun to build with your friends.”

“Fat chance,” the hero immediately answered without a moment's hesitation, “The only thing I’m going to share is your screams when I tear out your eyes. Then your throat.”

For a moment, Ghirahim only looked into the boy's eyes, face impassive. Link’s hair had grown considerably since he had first acquired the swordsman. His bloodied bangs now hung over his eyes, the rest nearly falling past his shoulders. The once bright blonde hair was now stained an ugly brownish. And though Ghirahim remembered to feed the kid once every week and give him just enough water to keep him alive, he still looked sickly. Cheeks sunken, dark bags under his eyes. From twenty feet away, he was sure he would be able to count each and every one of his ribs. The boy really was a far cry from what he used to be. 

Somehow Link still managed to keep at least some of his muscles. And Ghirahim had no doubt that the child would still be able to use a sword efficiently enough.

The demon lord let his hand travel up the boy's left arm, enjoying the way he tensed under the demon's touch. Silently, he smirked and mentaly noted that perhaps this should be more of a daily thing. Ghirahim hummed as he watched his hand travel further up the limb, stopping at the elbow.

“Very amusing. By all means, dream away. But, you know what else is funny?”

Instead of waiting for a response, the demon pressed his fingers into the skin. His sharp nails only made the job all the more easier. Sadly, all he got in return was stubborn silence. Face impassive, he proceeded to dig his fingers into the flesh and muscle until he reached bone. Not stopping for a second. Ghirahim began to pull, ignoring Links sharp cry of pain. 

Streams of blood began to run down to the boy's shoulder. There was a sickening snap as the bone in his arm broke.

Slowly, Ghirahim removed the broken piece with a disgusting squelch. More blood began to make its way from the wound. Link screamed and tried to move away, only to make it worse on his end. Ghirahim clicked his tongue in annoyance, finally releasing the broken piece. Absentmindedly flicking off pieces of muscle as the other attempted to catch his breath.

Ghirahim held up the bone for Link to see, grinning, “I guess it’s sort of funny, seeing as how your ‘funny’ bone isn’t actually a bone.”

Huffing, the other looked up to meet the demons gaze with a weak glare.

Instead of responding, he deftly moved the cartilage next to the boy's eye. For a while, he only held it there, contemplating whether or not he wanted to rip out the organ or perhaps stab it with his newly acquired treasure. 

Fairy magic could restore wounds. If he only stabbed the eye he could restore it fully (something he had learned a while ago). Ghirahim figured it wasn’t the same for missing organs. It didn’t matter either way. If he took one eye, the boy would still be able to see. He wanted him to be there when he destroyed everything the stupid child had worked for. Remembering the way his father died still made Ghirahim giddy. No. He would not deprive the boy of sight.

He didn’t want to make a move yet, so instead, he stared into that vibrant blue glare. It was a silent challenge. One Ghirahim would never admit to losing too. This time he wouldn’t. Slowly, he moved the broken bone down the boy’s cheek, neck, chest, right over a recent cut on his gaunt abdomen. As he tried to control his breathing, Ghirahim put the slightest pressure on the wound with the chipped and sharper end. The demon roughly grabbed Links stained hair, applying more pressure while small beads of red crawled down his pale skin. 

“I know what you’re thinking right now,” Ghirahim hissed as he mercilessly cut deeper earning a small yelp. “I agreed on keeping the door shut. I never said anything about my master here.”

Link grunted as another cut was added, “Coward.” he breathed, “You’re a worthless piece of shit.”

“A mighty hero you are and all you have is meager insults,” the demon commented adding a few more lacerations before stepping back and releasing his hold on the boy’s hair. Panting, Link let his head fall as beads of sweat began to gather on his forehead and chest.

“Fuck you.” he ground out.

Ghirahim chuckled, he twirled the cartilage in his hand contemplating on what to do next. “In all honesty, it’s your own fault for being such a dumbass and not examining all your options. You had plenty of time to pick and choose. But, of course you would ignore everything and jump at the chance to be a hero.” Ghirahim now took an expression of disappointment and disdain.

“We had a deal!” Link suddenly shouted in a hoarse voice, glaring at the demon lord. The desperation could clearly be heard. It sounded as if he was seconds away from crying in annoyance. He pulled on the chains above his head, aggravating his worn wrists and elbow. Whimpering, he let his head drop once more, his malnourished body fell lax against the chains.

“And I have followed every single one of your conditions.” he noted nonchalantly.

For a moment, Ghirahim only stood, gazing at the far cry of what used to be one of Hyrule’s best warriors. While he hadn’t been around very long to actually pay attention to Link’s position. From what he had heard however, the boy had been training as a soldier ever since his aunt died when he was eight. 

Ever since he had finished healing after the destruction of his master, Ghirahim had been set on finding the reincarnation of that little sky brat. He had only heard rumors that his master had cursed the sky child before he died. Something about a never ending cycle. Ghirahim had hoped that the reincarnations would hopefully remember their past lives. It would no doubt make their jobs harder. And his job easier. When he had first heard the fact that the goddess had blessed her beloved chosen hero with an unbreakable spirit, the demon lord had been dead set on trying to break it. Completely. Doing that would no doubt get him more respect than his master ever had. Several of the boy’s friends were dead, and for a while it seemed he might’ve been getting somewhere. But no, killing them only seemed to harden his resolve even more. Many times Ghirahim had managed to wiggle in and completely shatter his guard, but by the next day (or days) it was right back.

Perhaps he would have to try something a little different. For now, he’ll have to finish up here.

The demon snapped his finger and the chains disappeared in a flurry of diamonds. Link fell to the floor like a rag doll.

He watched as the other struggled for breath, placing his left hand on the floor next to him in an attempt to get to his hands and knees. Ghirahim delivered a swift kick to his ribs sending him back to the cold stone floor in a coughing fit. Apparently, the kick had opened a few more lacerations as well as worsening the others. Link made a feeble attempt to shrink back toward the wall.

“Should we try the bucket again?” Ghirahim asked, “or perhaps you prefer something a little more simpler.”

The only response he received was a piercing glare. Enough to kill and bury, if looks could.

He sighed, taking a few steps forward, “Figured that would be your answer. Oh well, guess I’ll have to choose.” Without missing a beat, Ghirahim snapped his fingers, causing Link to flinch and inch back further. A small black dagger was summoned with a flash of diamond. Waiting to heat the dagger in a fire would’ve taken too long for Ghirahim's patience. So, instead he channeled some of his magic into the metal, turning the small blade to an orange hue.

Pretending not to pay attention, Ghirahim glanced at the burning weapon in his hand. Link only kept his face impassive, ignoring the demon. That is, until the former used his foot to pin the boy flat against the floor. Still, Link kept his unwavering gaze on the others dull eyes.

Ghirahim snorted, “You’re just like him.” he snapped his fingers again and chains snaked around the boy’s wrists and ankles.

He held the dagger up to his face, watching as the heat rose. The cave wall in the background seemed to move. When he looked back to Link he was no longer glaring at him. Instead, he only stared at the ceiling above. For a while, he stood there. He knew the waiting probably tormented the boy more than the actual pain. Not that it really mattered in the end. Times like these, Ghirahim only wished the stupid child would learn his lesson.

Finally, he deftly kneeled next to Link, keeping his face neutral. However, he didn’t get the reaction he was hoping for. Link continued to watch the ceiling, face impassive, lips set in a thin line. Ghirahim watched the boy’s chest rise and fall rapidly. He carefully moved the flat side of the dagger over his chest, holding it barely an inch from his flesh. For a moment, Link stilled, trying not to expand his chest for fear it would reach the knife.

Before he lowered his arm, “I wonder,” Ghirahim quipped, “if your father was standing in the corner… would he stop me?”

Link’s blue eyes darted to the demon, his brow furrowing. He didn’t answer sadly, only returned his gaze to the ceiling.

Without missing a beat, Ghirahim pressed the burning steel to the boy’s flesh. Sizzling was only sound in the cell for a few seconds, that is until Link's beautiful screams joined the chorus. The boy arched his back, yanking on the chains and cutting into his raw wrists. After a moment, Ghirahim removed the blade and maneuvered it over another spot on his chest. He waited, allowing the other to catch his breath.

Link found he was suddenly disappointed in himself. Years ago he could have lasted more than a few seconds. Hell, sometimes he’d last an hour. There’s no way someone would go out on a battlefield and not come back with a few serious burns.

Ghirahim sighed once more and slid the dagger across Link’s chest once again.

… 

In all honesty, she had no idea why this was happening to her. Piper was almost one hundred percent sure- no, one hundred and ten percent sure that she had no connection to this boy. Never in her life had she ever seen him. And never in her life had she ever felt so bad for someone she didn’t even know. At first it was only small glances in the strangest places. For some people, dreaming was hard to identify. But, for Piper, a demigod, it was quite easy to decipher what was dream and what was the waking world. 

Everytime it was in the midst of a crowd. Sometimes in a museum, sometimes at a park and sometimes in a crowded restaurant. There would be a woman. With unnatural long golden hair. Almost like the straw from the story of Rumplestiltskin. When Piper would meet her eyes, the girl would look away and cover her face with her hands, weeping. She looked about seventeen or maybe eighteen. However, everytime she would try and approach her, she would fade away. As if never there in the first place. Those dreams felt so real. It was terrifying. But, not nearly as terrifying as some nights. Piper knew it was a dream, but sometimes she felt as if she would never wake up.

They were only dreams, but Piper felt as if she was witnessing a crime and didn’t do anything about it. Which, technically it was true. However, against her will. More times than most she just wished it was some awful nightmare her mind conjured up. But, being a demigod, she knew better than wishful thinking.

The second time was probably worse than the first. When Piper had woken up she could barely remember what she had seen. Even then, she was afraid to sleep the next night. Although she knew something had to be wrong, Piper never said anything for fear she would ruin the peace they had at Camp Half-Blood. But when she slept the next night she instantly regretted it. Not only was she forced to watch someone suffer without being able to help, but everything from the first night came crashing back as well and it was awful. When she woke up, there were hot tears running down her face. And if anyone had noticed, they never said a thing.

Every time it happened, she could never see the boy's tormenter. Only a faint outline. A strange distortion in the air. Like a ghost from those crappy horror flicks. She had no idea who or what it was, she only hoped that she might be able to help.

Part of her was relieved after the meeting Chiron had called. However, somehow it felt worse now that she knew his name. And the fact that she had never said anything sooner. 

However, this time as she was frozen in the corner, her shoulder was shoved to the side and her vision blurred. As if her brain were trying to prevent her eyes from witnessing. However, no matter how hard she hit her head, she knew it was impossible for those scenes to fall away. They replayed over and over in her clouded vision like a broken tape. However, before Piper could even register what her brain was flipping through, perfect sea green eyes and a worried yet impassive expression filled her sight.

Annabeth was right, Percy’s eyes were quite beautiful. A beautiful mixture of deep waters reflecting the moonlight while shimmering in the sun. However, to Piper she had always found Jason's pure sky blue more captivating. 

Suddenly her stomach was on its side. Her nose stung with horrifying realization that she could no longer see Jason’s face clearly. She was looking through warped glass and all she could make out was the tortured face of someone she had never even met. Yet still bore witness to their pain. This time her stomach did a handspring as she felt a fake realization of relief that it wasn’t Jason.

Percy’s somewhat muffled words finally reached her ears. Piper’s stomach settled as she sat up and dragged her gaze through the window of the taxi they had taken.

“We’re here,” he was saying, though Piper barely paid him any mind. They had only traveled from camp to Percy’s apartment. Yet somehow everything felt as if she had been sleeping for decades. Her mind struggled to catch up. About a half an hour ago, her arms had been snaked around Jason’s neck as she bid her farewells. Her hand still raised as she waved to her blonde friend Annabeth. She could still see her and Percy with their arms wrapped around each other. Annabeth’s distant threats and calls of ‘seaweed brain’ still rang through her head. Yet every time she tried to evision Jason’s face… 

Her shoes scuffed the concrete steps as they made their way up to Ms. Jackson’s apartment. Percy was strangely quiet. Though, things probably would’ve been different if she were Annabeth. When he woke her up to tell her that they had arrived, he looked strangely worried. Piper only hoped she hadn’t said anything embarrassing in her sleep.

Percy knocked lightly on the door, not even a few seconds later did it open to show Sally’s tired yet excited face. Upon seeing her son, she smiled sweetly, hugging him tightly. She gestured for them to come in. “Here just take a seat on the couch,” she offered, “Is there anything I can get you?”

Piper hesitated before asking if she could use their bathroom. As Sally fussed over Percy’s long hair, she slipped away into the apartment bathroom silently. Opening her backpack, she double checked to make sure she had everything she needed. Once Piper was positive that she had everything she would need, she pulled out Katoptris gently. Her disheveled face stared back at her. For a second it stayed the shiny blade it was. However when she took a moment to look in the bathroom mirror beside her and then looked back, the picture had changed. 

At first she couldn’t tell what it was she was looking at. Then, when her eyes refocused, she could see it was a set of large stone doors. They were heavily decorated and in three of the four corners there was a maiden blowing wind towards the middle. On the bottom left hand side there was a woman playing a harp. She looked strangely familiar to the weeping woman Piper had seen. At the center were the three triangles Chiron had talked about during their meeting. 

However unlike the medallion she had in her pocket the triangles were whole. Not to mention a golden colour, unlike the stone of the doors. Barely could she make out the depictions all along the bottom and edges. She guessed it was probably a retelling of a war, there were many indents and crevices in the stone showing old age. However at the same time they looked heavier than a mountain.

Soon the picture warped like a puddle when a stone is thrown in. 

It smoothed out to show a small girl with matted dark brown hair. She was crouched in the grass rolling a small plastic truck along the ground. There was a deep purple bow placed in her hair, holding it from falling into her eyes. The sky around her was bright, carefree. But suddenly it grew dark. As if she were in a dome and a blanket were placed over it. Ugly dark clouds began to form and rain pelted the ground. However the little girl did not seem to mind. She kept moving the truck along the soaked ground with a soft smile on her face and a sparkle in her eyes. The change in weather did not bother her.

The image changed again, but Piper slid the dagger back into its sheath before anything else prevented itself. She didn’t want her dreams to be anything else than what they were. At least not yet. Before she left, she made sure to flush and wash her hands.

When Piper emerged from the bathroom, Percy was sitting at their kitchen table talking to his mother. Presumably about his time with Annabeth at college. The whole reason that they had come to Sally’s was because apparently, she had been raised with stories of the land where Link came from. Percy believed she might be able to shed some light on the situation and perhaps the use of the medallion that gave more weight than it should in Piper's pocket.

Slowly, she sat down at the table as Sally brought a glass of water to her. She was already aware of the situation, via an Iris message by Percy before they set off.

At this moment, Annabeth and Pipit would probably be making their way to Steubinville, Ohio. Apparently, that was where Pipit said Link liked to spend most of his time when they had first come here. He said he doesn’t really remember how they had initially made it here, but he said something about doors. The thought of it made Pipers sink.

As she took a tentative sip of water, Sally began her favorite story of a city in the clouds. Apparently there were large birds that flew around and the people that lived there had their own.

“As a kid,” she was saying, “I always dreamed of flying on one. But I think the most fascinating part is that the people and their birds were always considered a part of a whole. Loftwings, I think they were called.”

For a moment, it was quiet, then Percy spoke up.

“Do you know of anyone named Ghirahim?” he said with a scowl.

Sally looked surprised at the question but continued either way. She hummed, “I’m pretty sure he was a demon working under Demise. He’s like the big bad guy.”

“With a name like that I’m sure he was.”

Piper set her glass down gently, keeping her hands cupped around the cool surface, “What about big stone doors?” The image of the impending stones with gold in the middle kept surfacing in her mind.

A moment passed and Mrs. Jackson seemed somewhat confused. She looked contemplative as she looked across the room. “Well,” she said after a minute, “I don’t remember it very well. I’m pretty sure there was something along the lines of ‘Times doors?’” She paused, “No that’s not it. ‘Doors of Time’ I think. Yeah, I don’t really remember them that much. It was such a long time ago since I’ve heard the stories.” she smiled and apologised.

Piper took another sip of water, “It’s alright, Mrs. Jackson. I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

Instead of accepting her apology, Sally laughed it off. “No, I’m glad to share. And Percy, do something about that hair of yours.”

“It’s fine,” he argued.

Huffing, she reached over and pulled a few strands, “It is not. What if you’re in a fight and someone pulls it?”

“It’s not even that long.”

The conversation faded into the background until the only thing Piper could focus on were the doors and the girl she had seen in Katoptris. Hopefully that girl was just some sort of metaphor or something. Maybe it was a goddess. Yeah, that seemed likely. She would probably show up unannounced and ruin their plans.

**Author's Note:**

> Haha Ghirahim go brrr


End file.
